Standing Date
by Standard-Ang3l
Summary: Jason feels threatened by the thought of Caitlyn hanging out with someone who isn't him.


Get ready for a whole slew of Jaitlyn goodness. And a bit of Natella. So much to post! Reviews are appreciated.

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><p>"Sorry, Jase, but I've had these plans for a while now. You'll just have to figure out some other way to entertain yourself tonight," Caitlyn said as she threw a bag of M&amp;M's into her basket, switching the phone from her left hand to her right as she made her way to the checkout line.<p>

"But, Caity…" Jason whined. "I just ordered forty dollars worth of Chinese takeout. Who's supposed to eat the lo mein if you're not here?"

Caitlyn smirked and shook her head. "I really am sorry, Birdman. But I've been looking forward to tonight for a while."

Jason frowned into his phone. Caitlyn sounded…excited. About _not_ spending time with him tonight. "What are you going to be doing?" he asked slowly, not sure he wanted to hear what she would say.

Caitlyn shrugged. "Not much. Food. Movies. Music. Maybe liquor. Passing out at three AM." She sighed heavily. This line was _super_ slow.

"But…that's what we usually do on Friday nights…" Jason was _not_ happy. It wasn't just that Caitlyn was breaking their standing Friday night plans at the last minute. She was breaking them to go and do them with someone else. Who wasn't him. "Hold on," he said suddenly as a horrendous thought gripped him. "You're not…" he said, shaking his head, "Shit, Caity. Do you have a date tonight?"

Caitlyn _finally_ got to the front of the line and slammed her basket down on the conveyor belt. "And would it be so wrong if I _did_ have a date, Jason?"

Jason's face went white. "Um…I plead the fifth."

She growled loudly, causing the cashier and the old man paying to look at her in concern. "Do I need to remind you of last month when I was on my way to your place and you called to tell me you suddenly remembered you had a blind date, and that you had left the spare key in the flower pot so I should let myself in and wait for the pizza boy so he wouldn't be standing there like an idiot when no one came to the door? You were the bad guy then. And you still are, acting all weirdly jealous and practically screaming the fact that you think it's bad I have a date." There was the sound of a throat clearing pointedly. Caitlyn looked up and blushed as the man behind her pointed to the cashier. "I have to go now," she said quickly. "Don't call me back." She hung up on Jason and threw her phone into her bag, hurriedly pulling her wallet out and running her debit card through the reader.

"Boy troubles?" the cashier asked as she bagged the last of Caitlyn's things.

"Sort of. I chose to have a girls' night instead of hanging out with him tonight because I'm tired of being just his friend. I need perspective and I can't get it when he's sitting next to me on the couch while we watch The Hangover and eat takeout."

The woman nodded and handed Caitlyn her bags and receipt.

"In my experience, pouncing usually works. Just make sure the clothes you're wearing aren't too tight. It's not really sexy to be the cause of your own dress ripping."

Caitlyn blinked at her and nodded. "Yes, of course. Thank you," she said as she left the grocery store.

(LINE)

Jason frowned down at his phone and sighed. This thing he had with Caitlyn might have just gotten a lot more complicated.

Not that he ever really had a thing with Caitlyn.

He had a thing _for_ Caitlyn.

But seriously. This just got complicated.

He really should have done something the first time she fell asleep on him watching a movie. Five years ago during their first summer as counselors.

But he hadn't and then they dated other people and then they were both single but he chickened out and Caitlyn got distant for some reason and then they both got over their issues and now they were in a very comfortable place.

Maybe too comfortable.

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh.

Caitlyn was on a date. Doing date-like things. Wearing date-like clothes. Eating date-like food. Smelling of date-like perfume. Flirting with date-like…flirtation-ness.

Jason pouted as he thought about Caitlyn and some generically handsome guy sitting at a small, candle-lit table, smiling at each other over spaghetti and lightly brushing each other's hands while violin music played in the background.

He didn't like that image.

He preferred the one of him and Caitlyn sitting on his couch, stuffing their faces with every kind of food imaginable, watching movies or playing guitar until they fell asleep, using each other as pillows.

He thought back to what Caitlyn had said. Food. Movies. Music. Maybe liquor. Passing out at three AM.

Could she actually be spending the night _in_ with her date?

Mr. Generically Handsome better not touch the guitar of Caitlyn's he had adopted. That guitar was his to play whenever he was at Caitlyn's. He didn't want someone else to have it.

His eyes fell on the printed scarf Caitlyn had left at his place last week. The one she said was her lucky scarf.

He grabbed it. Caitlyn couldn't be on a date and not have her lucky charm, right?

(LINE)

Caitlyn let herself into her apartment and sighed. Jason was seriously pissing her off.

There was a knock at the door.

"Caiiiiiiit!" said a loud voice. "Let us in!"

She snorted before she opened the door and let in Mitchie and Ella.

"Before we get all into this, can I just ask that we not talk about boys the _whole_ night? A little is fine, but…I just got in a fight with Jason. Sort of," Caitlyn said as they clambered into the kitchen.

Mitchie looked at her suspiciously. "What kind of a fight?"

She looked down at the counter and scratched at a crusted-over spill from earlier.

"Caitlyn Michelle Gellar," Mitchie said dangerously. "What kind of fight did you get into with Jason?"

She sighed. "He got mad that I broke our standing Friday thing and then all but said that the idea of me having a date was laughable. Or something. I can't remember. I went off on him after that."

"Why'd you go off on him?" Ella asked.

"Because he was hypocritical and mean and making me feel guilty for abandoning our plans and he was acting like a jealous boyfriend and he's never so much as kissed me on the cheek, so what right does he have to pull this bullshit on me?" Caitlyn said angrily, stomping across the kitchen and pulling a carton of Ben and Jerry's out of the freezer.

"Oh, God," Mitchie muttered. "You really are crazy for him, aren't you? It's not just a years-long soft spot you have for him."

"_Shane_ could have told you that, Mitch," Ella said disdainfully.

"Look, let's just watch John Tucker Must Die or blast some angry boys suck music while we stuff ourselves with pizza, okay?" Caitlyn asked. "And someone, please get out my secret stash of wine coolers in the back of the fridge."

"You really just need to jump Jason's bones and put the both of you out of your misery. I mean, seriously. Think about how bad Jason must feel."

"And what exactly does that mean, Ella?" Caitlyn asked.

"Oh my God!" Ella exclaimed in shock. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. Explain it to me," Caitlyn said, rolling her eyes.

"Jason has been completely over-the-moon-gaga for you ever since that first year we were counselors at camp. He wrote something like six hundred thousand and thirty-two fully ridiculous songs about you."

Caitlyn gave Ella a dumbfounded look. "How do you know this?" she asked.

Ella shrugged. "Jason and I both use black Moleskine notebooks. Him for music, me for sketches. I picked his up by accident one day and found out that you smell like wildflowers and Downy and outside."

"Outside?" Mitchie and Caitlyn asked in confusion.

Ella laughed. "I think he meant fresh air or something."

Caitlyn looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I think I like 'outside' better."

Mitchie and Ella burst into loud laughter and Caitlyn glared at them. "Shut up! Seriously! You two have been completely ridiculous in the past! Just because I said that I like outside better doesn't mean that's a free pass to laugh at me!"

"Let's just watch the movie, alright?" Mitchie asked, reaching for the remote. "And call a truce over boy-related teasing, yes?"

(LINE)

Jason had been walking up and down the sidewalk across from Caitlyn's building for the past hour, fiddling with the scarf. She was already mad at him. Did he really want to risk incurring her wrath even further by maybe interrupting her date?

He looked up at her window. The owl lamp she had bought one day while he was with her was sitting there in plain view, looking cute and cheerful.

Rolling his eyes, he made his way to the corner and crossed the street. He'd blame the lamp if Caitlyn got mad at him.

(LINE)

Caitlyn sat back as she finished her third slice of pizza and smiled. Yeah, she really needed a girls' night. No Jason to distract her with his curls and hands and pine and Ivory soap smell.

There was a loud knock at the door and Caitlyn looked towards it in confusion.

"Neither of you ordered more food and didn't tell me, did you?"

Mitchie and Ella both shook their heads.

"Go see who it is. We'll pause the movie," Ella said.

Caitlyn shrugged and got up, pulling her blanket around her shoulders and grabbing her teddy bear. When she got to the door, she peered through the peephole, and drew back in surprise. She ran back to the living room.

"Uh…it's Jason. At my door. And I'm in my pajamas. What…what do I do?" Caitlyn asked quickly, flailing her arms at Mitchie and Ella.

"Calm down and go back to the door. Now. You've kept Jason waiting long enough. And don't worry that you're in your pajamas. He's seen you naked," Mitchie said with a shrug.

Caitlyn blushed hotly. That was not something she needed to be reminded of right now. "It was one time, five years ago, and only for like, two seconds. He freaked out and tried to run away, but ran into the door and got knocked out. He doesn't even remember."

"Just answer the damn door, okay?" Mitchie said, throwing her ice cream spoon at Caitlyn.

She rolled her eyes and went back to the door, opening it hesitantly.

Jason stood there, smiling at her nervously as he fiddled with something in his hands.

"Yes?" she asked slowly. She was still a little mad at him, but she figured she should at least be civil.

"Hi. Um. You uh…you left this at my place last week. I know it's your lucky scarf and I figured that since you were on a date you should have it because it's always good to get lucky on a date." He paused and his eyes widened. "That's not what I meant. I meant…I don't know what I meant…" Jason shook his head and laughed awkwardly before he cocked his head to the side. "Why are you in your pajamas? Were you…did I interrupt something…?" He sighed in defeat. "You know what? I'm just going to go. I really don't know what I'm doing here anyway. Here's your scarf. Have a nice date."

Caitlyn caught his arm as he turned to leave. "Wait, wait, wait…have you been thinking all this time that I was on a date?" she asked, pulling him back towards the apartment.

Jason's ears turned pink and he looked down at the ground. "N-no…not really…"

She reached up to catch his chin and cocked a brow at him.

He rolled his eyes and jerked away. "Fine. Yeah, okay? Is that what you wanted to know?"

Caitlyn laughed softly. "Jase…I never said I had a date. I said I had plans. You assumed it was a date."

Jason spluttered and pointed a finger at her accusingly. "B-b-but…you…you said that you _did_ have a date. I remember! It was one of the last things you said to me before you hung up. You said that I thought it was bad you had a date or something similar…"

Caitlyn grabbed his finger and pulled his hand away from her face. "You pleaded the fifth when I asked would it be so bad if I had a date. Pleading the fifth means you don't want to incriminate yourself. Which means you think that me going on a date is a bad idea."

Jason sighed and rolled his eyes. "I think you dating anyone but me is a bad idea, okay? I've thought it for a long, long time."

Caitlyn looked up at him sharply. "You mean that?" she asked softly.

He nodded, his whole face red now.

She bit her lip and smiled shyly up at him before remembering something. "Come here, Jase," she said, taking his hand and pulling him into her living room. Mitchie and Ella casually waved at Jason from the couch.

"I don't get it," he said to Caitlyn, waving at the other two in confusion.

"I was having a girls' night, Jase. Not a date."

"Not a date?" he asked hopefully.

She sighed and smiled, rolling her eyes at him good-naturedly. "Let's go to my room, okay?" she said, taking his hand. "Feel free to keep watching the movie, ladies."

Caitlyn dragged Jason down the hall to her room and closed the door, locking it behind her before she turned to him with a devious grin.

He blinked at her and took a step back. "Hi."

She grinned wider and stepped closer. "Hi."

"Um…I'm sorry if I offended you earlier."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "You made it up to me already."

"How?"

"By bringing me my lucky scarf."

He smiled and shrugged modestly. "No problem."

Caitlyn sighed in frustration and shoved Jason roughly in the chest.

"_Caity_," he whined as his back hit her bed and she crawled on top of him.

She smiled. "Shut up. You've liked me since you were nineteen."

Jason snorted. "Technically, I've had an…admiration for you since we met. I only started liking you after I saw you come out of the bathroom without a towel because you kept blushing every time you saw me the rest of that summer."

Caitlyn turned bright, bright red and dropped her gaze from his face. Then, without warning, she punched him hard in the shoulder.

"You…you jerk! I can't believe you totally saw me naked and then _lied_ about it to my face for these past five years! You…and _that's_ why you started liking me? Because you saw me _naked_?"

Jason flushed and took Caitlyn's hands. "No…I started liking you because you blushed furiously every time we looked at each other. It was cute that _you_ were getting flustered and shy. You're sort of unflappable, you know. That's why I started liking you."

She gave him a doubtful look. "That's why? Because I blushed?" she asked in disbelief.

He shrugged. "Yeah. And then when you fell asleep while we were watching that movie in my cabin, I knew I had to ask you out. But I kept chickening out."

Caitlyn stared at him reproachfully. "I noticed. Ever wonder why I avoided you for a few months a couple of years ago?"

"Because I was an idiot?" he suggested.

Caitlyn smiled and leaned forward. "That's right," she said, touching his nose with her finger.

Jason grinned and took hold of her hand, moving it out of the way and closing the small gap between them with his mouth. Caitlyn whined against his lips and threw her arms around his neck, pushing him back down onto the bed. Jason pulled back from her and Caitlyn protested loudly.

He laughed at her and tugged the blanket she had had around her shoulders earlier out from between them. It had gotten twisted and tangled in the pummeling and kissing and it was sort of uncomfortable to have it pressed against him. Caitlyn pounced on him as soon as he threw the blanket onto the floor, nipping his lips roughly and pressing her tongue against his teeth. He moaned loudly and wrapped her hair around his fingers.

There was a pounding from the wall and they both jumped.

Caitlyn grinned at Jason and kissed his cheek. "I think that Mitchie and Ella believe we're being too loud."

"Kick them out. It's your place. You have total say in the matter."

She laughed. "You plan on being louder?"

He smirked. "Maybe."

She looked at him consideringly for a moment before jumping off the bed. "I'll be back in a moment," she said with a smile.

Jason leaned back against her pillows and laughed as he heard muffled talking, followed by loud squeals and clapping and what he assumed was jumping up and down. Then he heard suggestive ooh-ing and he was pretty sure he heard Ella shout bow chicka bow wow before Caitlyn shouted for them to get out. They protested a little, but finally left when Caitlyn slammed the door on them. There was a loud cheer and the sound of running feet down the hall and then he was engulfed in a very large and affectionate hug from Caitlyn.

"Let's get loud," she said with a grin, bending down to kiss him.


End file.
